THE WORD WE HEARD

I sit and think and wonder why                                             

God’s first sound was a baby’s cry.

He spoke before to those who heard

what sounded like the spoken word --

Adam, Noah, and Abraham,

even Jacob while on the lam --

all heard him speak, or so they said,

and all obeyed in fear and dread.

 

Well, maybe not or maybe so

truth or legend, you never know:

we often hear what sounds like words

when all it is are chirps of birds.

We say we heard God speak to us;

then we wonder what’s all the fuss

from those who heard nary a sound

not even steps upon the ground.

 

God has spoken, yes, this I know;

it all began not long ago

when Jesus Christ was born that day

to come and take my sins away.

From that day on in words and deeds

with picture words -- like mustard seeds --

he told us all about himself

and showed us all about ourselves.

 

He lived; he loved; he laughed; he cried.

He gave his all until he died.

It all began that quiet day

amid the smell of old wet hay

when in that cry -- a baby’s word --

t’was God’s own voice, was what we heard.

We heard him say to you and me,

“I love you all. Why can’t you see

that I was born so you could know

how much your God loves all you so?”

 

The message of this Christmas Day

is how God speaks in his own way.

So let us pause and say a word

of thanks to God,  the Son, Our Lord.

“We thank you, God, for your dear Son

who came to us that cold dark morn.”

We hear him now and ever more

as we look out our own front doors,

hear him speaking, “Now come to me.

just take my hand and you’ll be free.”

So Christmas comes and Christmas goes,

but Jesus stays, yes, this we know.

He is inside both you and me

and speaks his love eternally.